Negative public feedback prompts SBS Transit to review urinal layout at Farrer Park MRT station

SINGAPORE: The male toilet at Farrer Park MRT station has received an unusual degree of attention lately, after a member of the public drew attention to the fact that there was very little space between the two rows of urinals facing each other.

This caused the entrepreneur Jack Sim, who founded the World Toilet Organization and is well-known as “Mr Toilet,” to pay a visit in person.

On Wednesday, Mr Sim posted photos of the toilet, along with a lengthy caption wherein he wondered how the design got approved and who was responsible for it.

The issue, as first featured in an article in Stomp, showed that, indeed, using the urinals would be truly inconvenient.

“It is impossible for 2 persons to stand back to back without touching. 

It is also impossible to use the other urinals if the first one is used and blocking the passage.

If you so happen to use the last urinal, you’d need to wait for the first guy to finish,” wrote Mr Sim.

He went on to ask a series of questions concerning which architectural firm was responsible for the design, how it was approved by the Building & Construction Authority, why the contractor didn’t flag the issue, who the Clerk of Works for the SMRT was that supervised it and why they did not raise objections, and how the SMRT accepted the handover of such a built condition.

Mr Sim called for the building codes to be changed so that this type of occurrence doesn’t happen again, adding that the public should be encouraged to highlight similar issues.

“You may fulfill the bureaucracy and still make a mistake. Is this a case where the operation was successful but the patient is dead?” he wrote.

After the matter was covered by national media outlets, Mr Sim added in a comment: “SBS Transit is now reviewing the toilet and will do the necessary job to make it right again.”

SBS Transit spokesperson Grace Wu told CNA, “Any works will need to be carefully planned to minimise inconvenience to commuters. We seek commuters’ patience and understanding as this may take some time.”

Commenters on Mr Sim’s post appeared to be unable to resist poking fun at the issue.

“That shows how ‘expensive” Singapore land is!!!” one joked.

“This is called bumper to bumper,” added another. /TISG

Read also: Jack Sim asks why millionaire coffee shop owner would be given a grant to clean toilets